Binscarth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Binscarth
Unincorporated urban community
St. Matthews Anglican Church in Binscarth. The Binscarth war memorial.
Binscarth Location in Manitoba
Country	Canada
Province	Manitoba
Municipality	Russell – Binscarth
Population  (2011)
• Total	425

Binscarth is a small community in Manitoba, Canada. It's part of the Municipality of Russell – Binscarth. You can find it about 167 km (104 mi) northwest of Brandon. It's also only 16 km (9.9 mi) south of Russell and 16 km (10 mi) east of the Saskatchewan border.

Before January 1, 2015, Binscarth was known as a village. Today, the people in Binscarth mostly work in farming and local businesses. There are also big companies nearby, like potash mines in Saskatchewan. These include Nutrien in Rocanville and Mosaic in Esterhazy and Gerald. Plus, there's a canola crushing plant (run by Bunge) in Harrowby, Manitoba.

Discovering Binscarth's Past

Binscarth started as a large farm for animals, set up by a Scottish company. This farm was about three miles northwest of where the community is now. The name "Binscarth" came from the founder's old home in the Orkney islands.

In 1886, the Manitoba and Northwestern Railway (which later became the CPR) built tracks through the area. A train station was built at the current spot, and the community soon moved there. Binscarth officially became a village in 1917.

In 2015, Binscarth joined with the town of Russell and the Rural Municipality of Russell. Together, they formed the Municipality of Russell-Binscarth. This was part of a bigger change for many towns in Manitoba.

The "Seekaywye" Idea

Back in 1964, there was a proposal to change Binscarth's name to Seekaywye. This name came from the Winnipeg radio station CKY. If the name change happened, the radio station promised to promote Binscarth as a fun vacation spot. However, the people of Binscarth voted against it, by just ten votes! Another town, La Riviere, Manitoba, also said no to the same offer.

For many years, the radio station's frequency, CKY 580, was remembered in local business names. You could find places like the "580 Hotel" and "580 Plumbing and Heating."

How Many People Live Here?

In the 2021 Census, Statistics Canada counted 420 people living in Binscarth. They lived in 199 homes out of 213 total houses. This was a small increase from 407 people in 2016. Binscarth covers an area of 1.4 km² (0.54 sq mi).

Fun Things to See and Do

Binscarth has some interesting places to visit!

Binscarth & District Gordon Orr Memorial Museum

The Binscarth & District Gordon Orr Memorial Museum has a large collection of old Native artifacts. It's also one of the few museums that has a skull from an extinct bison. You can also see old farm equipment, like a Massey-Harris tractor, a binder, and a seed drill. There's even a 1905 International Engine. The museum also shows what a general store, summer kitchen, chapel, and school room used to look like. You can visit the museum in July and August.

Binscarth's Outdoor Pool

Binscarth is proud to have the "largest outdoor swimming pool on the Yellowhead highway." This big pool, along with a park and campground, is located just south of the community. It's in the beautiful Silver Creek valley.

Binscarth's Weather